Enterprises employ a vast number of protocols for internal and/or external communications and information transfer in order to ensure reliability, security and compliance with particular policies. For example, internal and/or external communications and information transfer can include, but are not limited to electronic mail (email), Internet Protocol (IP) telephony, web mail, web-browsing, text messaging over a network of two or more computers (or network connectable, processor-based devices). In general, email allows electronic communication of a text message alone or in combination with graphics and optional attachments; while text or instant messaging is a simpler communication mechanism most frequently employed for transmitting short text messages. These electronic communication media are popular as they provide inexpensive, easy, point-to-point communication that is less intrusive than traditional techniques and/or non-electronic communications. There is an abundance of other benefits, for example, email easily enables one-to-many communication, there is no need to synchronize participants and the content can be planned more easily, among other things. Unfortunately, these media have adversaries and/or protocols that threaten the convenience of and confidence in their use, namely spam, viruses, malware, compliance with corporate and/or regulatory policies, monitoring, and management.
A variety of systems and techniques have been developed and employed to combat spam and malicious code related to electronic communication media. Conventionally, enterprises utilize independent and isolated security, defense, and/or protective techniques which can be detrimental to efficient threat suppression and policy enforcement. For example, an enterprise may utilize a filter associated with email, yet filter definitions and/or identified threats may be ignored in connection with the filter corresponding with instant messaging. Such conventional security and/or protective techniques are vulnerable, weak, and easily penetrated.